Safety-flap pocket registry-envelop



L. W. HARDING.

SAFETY FLAP POCKET REGISTRY ENVELOP- MPLICAVI'ION FILED OCT. 18, 1919- 1,393,776, v Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- L. W; HARDING.

SAFETY FLAP POCKET REGISTRY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1919.

Patented Oct. 18 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. W. HARDING.

SAFETY FLAP POCKET REGISTRY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1919.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PAiIENT OFFICE.

LEWIS WILLIAM HARDING, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN A. LESNER.

SAFETY-FLAP POCKET REGISTRY-ENVELOI.

Application filed October 18, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS W. HARDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-F lap Pocket Registry-Envelops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to envelope, and is designed primarily to form an envelop for transmission of valuables, for instance by registered mail or otherwise, and which Will afford additional security against rifling,

and which is also adapted for attachment of a registry return card without liability of its accidental detachment in transmission of the envelop or package to its destination point. The invention contemplates forming the envelop with what for convenience I will designate as a safety flap which effects such a sealing of the envelop that it' cannot be surreptitiously opened without affording quickly identifying evidence of the unauthorized tampering with the sealed container or envelop. It is also formed with a pocket forreceiving and securely holding a return receipt card, the pocket being so formed as to be reinforced at points where the g 'eatest strain and liability to fracture occur.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an envelop in which is embodied the invention, a registry return card being shown in place, and the sealing flaps at one end being partially turned back for clearness of illustration; 1 Y r Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig.1 with the main flap and one of the preferred form of end sealing flaps in opened clearness of illustration;

:Fig.- 3 is a perspective View of an embodi- Specification of Letters Patent.

positions for Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Serial No. 331,583.

of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line bb of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line c-c of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a hoizontal section on the line (Z Z of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification, with parts unfolded for clearness; I

Fig. 10' is a vertical section on line ee of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section on line f-f of Fig. 9.

In the drawing the numeral 1 indicates the main body of the envelop or blank which Is formed with end flaps 2, bottom flap 3 and top flap 4:. Each end flap is formed with a central portion 5 which will fold along the creases 6 and 7 so as to bring the portion 5 overlapping the adjacent portion 8 and be cemented along the inner face of the portion 9 so that when the portion 9 is folded inwardly along the crease 11 a reinforced open sided receiving pocket 10 will be formed at the outer face of the inwardly folded end portions 8 of the two end flaps, the open ended pockets being opposite each other, and

the inwardly folded portions 8 at their meeting edges being cemented one to the other to form the front of the envelop. The upper ends of the portions 5 are slitted and cut so as to form a lip 12 thatwill be cemented to the inner face of the portion 9, and a lip 13 that will-be cemented to the outer face of the portion 8 so as to secure the upper part of the portions 8 and 9 together at the rear of the pocket, and the portions 8 and 9 together at the top of the pocket. At the lower ends of the portions 9 the blank willbe formed with inwardly extending lips 14 which will be cemented to the inner face of the bottom flap 3 when folded up on to the inturned end flaps, and to each side of the bottom flap 3 flaps 15 are formed which will be folded or upturned so as to overlap the portions 9 at the bottom and thus close the bottom of the envelop at the ends. The bottom flap 3 is formed with curved edges which form lips 16 at the ends of the bottom flap which will fit within or enter the pockets and be cemented to the faces of the inturned portions 8 of-the end flaps so as to effect an attachment or connection between the end flaps and bottom flap without affecting the opening of the pockets, and at the same time concealing the ends of the bottom flap. The top flap 4: is cut away at 17 so as to form end lips 18 and end flaps 19, the lips 18 being designed to fit under or within the pockets and the flaps 19 to fold into the portions 9, when ;the top flap. is folded for closing and sealing the envelop, the inner faces of the lips 18 and flaps 19 being cemented or gummed for sealing purposes.

The lower flap 3 is provided with an auxiliary. or safety flap designed to fold over the top flap 4 when the latter is in sealing ,posi-.

tion andto be sealed thereon so'as to afford safety against surreptitious opening of the topsealing flap without tangible or optical evidence of tampering. is designated by the numeral 20 and may be formed in different ways, In Fig. 2 of the ceals the seal of the main flap and thereby:

drawing it is illustrated as formed along the top edge of the bottom fiap 3. Its inner face is gummed and normally will be folded out-, ward so that when the top flap at is in sealing position, the safetyflap will be turned down upon the top flap and sealed thereto,

with the ends of the, safety flap lying under or within the return card pockets.

Anenvelop formed with the return recelpt pockets and with the safety fiap possesses,

material advantages. The pockets admit of theeasy insertion of the return receiptcard, designated by 21, and securely retain the same against accidental displacement or detachment during transmission by mail, or otherwise. The pockets are also reinforced by the manner in which they are formed so that they; afford strength where the strains occur, and they also prevent the insertion of any instrument for extracting contents of the envelop. The safety fiapcovers and conprevents the unlawful unsea'ling and opening of the sealingfiap so that additional security is afforded. The other features described also give greater security and protection and strength to the envelop.

Modifications can be made in the inventive features of'the e velop and their advantages practically a lengthening or prolongation of one end flap and a shortening of the other, thejtwo being cemented together at then meeting points but the seam being concealed instead of being exposed as whenthe. two

This safety flap one flap with the other at its ends to the shortened-portions 8 of the end flaps, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawing. In the several forms described the inventive features are substantiallythe same, the only difference between them being in form and not in substance.

So-also, the safety flap 20 instead of being a single thickness may be a double thickness and made by folding the bottomflap be... tweenitslower and upper ends withthe meetingfacesof the fold cemented together, andthe inner face of the flap gummed so that when. folded down over the top flap when in sealing position it will cover and conceal the seal of the top flap as in the other formdescribed. g

This form-of safety flap isillustrated in Fig; 9 of the drawing.

If desired, the lower or bottom auxiliary flaps .15 instead of'terminating near the bottom of the envelop maybe extended as far as the upperipart oftheenvelopandformed with gummedtabsQQ whichv when the top flap is turned down into sealing-position,

these tabs may-fold over the sealing .fiap,.at

oppositeends of the envelop, as illustrated in F i s. l and 2 and thus serve as supplemental sealsto theenvelop.

I have described and illustrated some of the modifications that may be made but I am not-restricted to such. modifications as others may be made. and be embracedwithin the.

their preferred form.-

Having described my invention and-set forth its merits, what I claim is: a

1. Anenvelop provided with inwardly ex--! tending end flaps, each flap folded uponvitself to form an externally located pocketto receive a return card, and means connecting 2. An envelopprovided with inwardlyextending endfiaps, each-flap folded uponitself to form an externally located pocketto receive a return card, one face of the folded pocket portion being-cemented to the adja-' cent inturnedfiap portion. 7

3. An envelop provided with inwardlyextending 'endfiaps and oppositely disposed externally. located pockets to receive a return card, and an upwardly extending-bot. tom flap having lips said pockets.

' 4. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps. and oppositely disposed.

at'itsedges to fitwithin pockets to receive a return card, an upwardly extending bottom flap having end portions secured to the inwardly extending end flaps beneath said pockets, and supplemental bottom flaps folded upon and secured to the inwardly turned end flaps at the ends of the envelop.

5. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps and oppositely disposed pockets to receive a return card, and a top sealing flap having end portions to fit under said pockets.

6. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps and oppositely disposed pockets to receive a return card, a top sealing flap having end portions to fit under said pockets and supplemental top flaps to be folded upon and secured to the inwardly turned end flaps at the ends of the envelop.

7. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps and oppositely disposed pockets to receive a return card, an upwardly extending bottom flap and supplemental bottom flaps folded upon and secured to the inwardly turned end flaps, a top sealing flap having end portions to fit under said pockets and supplemental flaps to be folded upon and secured to the inwardly turned end flaps at the ends of the envelop, and supplemental sealing tabs arranged to overlap and be secured to said supplemental flaps.

8. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps and oppositely disposed pockets to receive a return card, a top sealing flap having end portions to fit under said pockets, and a safety flap disposed to over lap the lower edge of said downwardly turned top flap. Y

9. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps and oppositely disposed pockets to receive areturn card, a top seal ing flap, and an upwardly extending bottom flap projecting beneath said top flap and folded between its top and bottom to form a safety flap disposed to overlap the lower edge of the downwardly turned top flap 10. An envelop provided with inwardly extending end flaps, a downwardly foldable top sealing flap, an upwardly extending bottom flap, and a safety flap attached to the bottom flap and disposed to overlap and conceal the lower edge of the downturned upper flap and be sealed thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWVIS WVILLIAM HARDING.

WVitnesses W. E. WOOD, J. G. BURGESS. 

